Thursday, January 8, 2009
President-elect Obama said yesterday that overhauling Medicare and Social Security will be a key part of his administration’s plans to reduce the Federal deficit. This makes sense on paper, since those are two of the governments biggest programs and both quite odl and inefficient, but it also seems a tailor-made way to grind Obama’s agenda to a halt. My guess is that this announcement (besides being good policy) is part of his continued efforts to get Republican buy-in for his stimulus package *titter.*
It is looking increasingly likely that Roland Burris, Senate appointee of crooked Governor Rod Blagojevich, is going to be seated as a Senator. Man THAT is weird.
Israel came under rocket fire (3 rockets, but work with me) from Lebanon this morning. This could mean that Israel’s “war” in Gaza is opening into a two-front action. Since Israel invaded Gaza they have had their eye on Lebanon expecting just such a move from Hezbollah, but no one has claimed responsibility for the rocket attacks. Anyone keeping score at home will remember that Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006 and it didn’t go very well. Those looking for more insight into the conflict (and if there is one thing I love, it is more insight) should read this Op-Ed from a professor of Arab studies at Columbia. It is absurdly one-sided and his conclusion paragraph is complete crap but when almost all of what you see on TV being is very pro-Israel, it is worth reading contrary opinions. There is also a better Op-Ed on this topic from former President Jimmy Carter, who knows a thing or two about the Israel-Palestine peace process.
I am really beginning to believe that these Somali pirates are some kind of secret UN plot to make me feel better. I get all depressed because of the economy or the fact that maybe people think I hate Israel (I don’t) and then a news stories pops up about the pirates and I feel better. I mean, I know they are just poor people driven to desperate straights by their failing government, blah blah blah. But come on — PIRATES!!! There is a new US task force being assembled to try to protect merchant shipping in the waters of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and you can bet your ass that Uncle Sam is leading the way this time. I know I read somewhere that China was in charge of some UN anti-pirate navel force, but apparently not anymore? Either way, PIRATES!!!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Love is in the air on this Valentine’s Day.
The Middle East loves its political instability. In what is probably the biggest story of the day, Imad Mugniyah, a top Hezbollah commander who, in the 80s, orchestrated attacks that killed hundreds of Americans, was killed in Damascus when a bomb detonated under his car. No one has taken responsibility for the killing. He has been wanted for almost 20 years and at one point had a $25 million bounty on his head from the United States Government. There is a good chance his death could spark reprisals against Israel, since many in Hezbollah are already accusing them. The Israeli government has denied they were involved.
The Democratic Candidates love their superdelegates. The Democratic primary campaign has shifted its focus to the inexactly science of courting and counting delegates. The consensus that is emerging is that Senator Obama is leading Senator Clinton by roughly 100 delegates. That is a margin that would be very difficult for Senator Clinton to make up. Despite that lead, it appears Senator Obama won’t win enough pledged delegates to win the nomination outright– he will need votes from superdelegates. This is why you see things like 2.0something Awais Khaleel, a Wisconsin superdelegate, having coffee with Chelsea Clinton and taking personal phone calls from Senator Obama.
The Democratic candidates love of superdelegates is only surpassed by their love of pandering. Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama are putting their efforts into appealing to the working class voters they see as being key to winning in Wisconsin, Texas and Ohio. Senator Obama released an economic stimulus plan with a focus on creating and protecting working-class jobs. Meanwhile, Senator Clinton is increasingly taking the fight to Senator Obama by releasing what many consider the first negative ad of the campaign.
There is no love lost between Senator Obama and Senator McCain. Apparently the two have never really been able to stand each other and that is beginning to come out in the campaign.
Finally, Congress loves to appear powerful when issues don’t really matter. Roger Clemens yesterday testified to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that his former trainer had lied or misremembered when he said he had injected Clemens with steroids and HGH more than 40 times. Clemens has testified under oath that he never took steroids, so he could be facing criminal charges if it is proven that he did. Clemens is facing accusations by not only his former trainer, but by former teammates as well. This whole thing could have been avoided if Clemens had taken his cues from this guy and if Congress actually focused on things that mattered (hint: things not involving Roger Clemens’ ass).
